


Angel On Fire

by EternallyEC



Series: Pre-Witched [4]
Category: Charmed (TV 1998)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-12 16:02:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18449921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternallyEC/pseuds/EternallyEC
Summary: Phoebe isn't ready for the confrontation, but she needs it.





	Angel On Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea and some of the words used to write this. All of the recognizable dialogue comes from "Something Wicca This Way Comes Part 1" and belongs entirely to other people who are not me.  
> Author's Note: There's another note at the bottom, but I just wanted to remind everyone that there is triggering content contained within this part, so please don't read if you don't feel capable of handling it. The song I was inspired by and had on repeat for this part (and whose title this part bears) was Angel On Fire by Halsey, which I felt so perfectly captured the way Phoebe was during this.

Phoebe felt numb as she stood outside of the home she’d grown up in, the home that had never quite felt like it belonged to her as much as it did her sisters. She swallowed hard as she remembered the last time she had been here, her numbness replaced with pure terror and grief before she managed to shove the memory of Roger and Prue away.

It had taken five phone calls and several hours for Piper to convince Phoebe that she should return home when she’d called her one afternoon, frantic over having lost yet another job. She’d dropped out of school months ago in favor of working, but she’d quickly gone through just about every job that would have her and things were growing desperate.

Even so, the very idea of seeing Prue again… It left Phoebe breathless, clutching at her chest in a fruitless attempt to stop her heart from feeling like it was breaking all over again. It was worse now that she was here, minutes away from becoming a reality and she sucked in a sharp breath.

Suddenly her terrified trance was interrupted by a loud thunderclap, and suddenly it was pouring down rain and Phoebe was startled into action. Racing up to the front door, she turned to survey the familiar view that somehow hadn’t changed much since she’d left. “Hide-a-key, hide-a-key, please still be there,” she muttered breathlessly, her heart pounding faster as she turned the mat over and saw the key.

“Aha!” she cried triumphantly, trying to ignore the way her stomach twisted right along with the key in the lock—and then suddenly she was standing face-to-face with both of her sisters. Forcing a cheery smile, she exclaimed, “Surprise! I found the hide-a-key.”

Determinedly dodging Prue’s gaze, she gave Piper a grateful smile when she greeted her and clung to her sister tightly as she embraced her.

“It’s so good to see you. Isn’t it, Prue?” Piper asked pointedly, and Phoebe sucked in a breath.

“I’m speechless,” Prue said coolly, and just like that, Phoebe’s smile wilted.

Just then, there was a honk from outside and Phoebe groaned. “Oops, I forgot about the cab,” she said sheepishly, giving Piper an earnest look.

After a brief bit of bickering, Piper fished Prue’s wallet out and went outside to pay the cab, leaving Phoebe alone with her none-too-happy eldest sister.

“Is that all you brought?” she asked bluntly, eyeing her meager possessions critically.

“That’s all I own, and a bike,” Phoebe replied. “Look, I know that you don’t want me here—”

“We’re not selling Grams’ house.”

Phoebe paused; stung by the accusation, she gave Prue a hurt look. “Is that why you think I came back?” she asked quietly, feeling tears pricking at her eyes already. If Prue really believed that, it would mean that she thought even less of Phoebe than she’d thought.

“Look, the only reason Piper and I gave up our apartment and moved back here was because this house has been in our family for generations,” Prue frowned.

Despite her promise to Piper that she would try to be on her best behavior, Phoebe’s hurt made her lash out. “No history lesson needed. I grew up here too. So can we talk about what's really bothering you?” she shot back with a bravado she certainly didn’t feel, her heart already beating faster as the words left her mouth.

“No, I’m still furious with you,” Prue informed her, and Phoebe had to fight back the urge to roll her eyes because _of course she was_.

“So, you'd rather have a tense reunion filled with boring chitchat and unimportant small talk?” she countered with a frown, deeply displeased with the direction the conversation was taking.

“No, but otherwise we won't have anything to talk about,” Prue smirked.

“I never touched Roger.”

The words flew out of her mouth before she could even think about saying them, not that she was about to let Prue know that. Something inside of her loosened at that moment and for the first time in months, Phoebe felt like she could breathe again.

And suddenly, her sadness was replaced with anger. Not at her big sister who couldn’t have known, not when Phoebe hadn’t told her and who had been taken in herself, but at the person she should have blamed all along.

“Whoa,” Prue said sharply.

“I know you think otherwise because that's what that Armani-wearing, Chardonnay-slugging, trust-funder told you—” Phoebe began, her eyes burning with the rage she felt, only cut off by Piper’s return.

Obviously sensing the tension in the room, Piper took on her usual role of trying to smooth things over between her two sisters. “Hey, I have a great idea. Why don't I make a fabulous reunion dinner?” she suggested cheerily.

“I’m not hungry,” Prue answered tightly, her face completely unreadable.

“I ate on the bus,” Phoebe added, her rage dissipating as fast as it had formed and being replaced with the raw emptiness that she’d grown far too used to it.

“Okay, we’ll try the group hug later,” Phoebe heard Piper say as both she and Prue stalked from the room. Feeling a pang of guilt, she silently promised herself that she’d make it up to Piper the second she could.

But for now, she had bigger plans. Going upstairs, she slowly trailed her hand along the wall, remembering all the times she’d done the same thing growing up. Blinking back tears as she reached the top of the stairs, she couldn’t help but glance down the hallway to the last place she’d seen Grams.

She’d been heading out because of course she had been, she’d hated being trapped in the manor then. Grams had been standing just outside of her door, asking her to come and help her with something and she’d brushed her off with some lame excuse, not even bothering to go down the hallway or return her I love you and be safe. Instead, she’d called out, “Yeah, okay, Grams,” and continued on her way, having no idea that those would be the last words she ever said to her.

And just like that, Phoebe broke under the weight of her secret, not being believed by her big sister, the guilt of being a terrible granddaughter… It all was suddenly far too much to bear and she gasped as she felt it crushing her, forcing heaving sobs out of her.

She was honestly surprised when she felt arms encircling her and tenderly helping her stand, and her surprise only grew when she looked up to see Prue helping her into what had once been Phoebe’s bedroom. “Here, sit down,” Prue said, her tone still brusque but with a softness to it that hadn’t been there before.

Phoebe obeyed, sniffling as she pulled a pillow onto her lap and hugged it tightly, resting her chin on top of it. The silence stretched between the pair, Prue looking down on her quietly and Phoebe feeling like she should say something but having no idea what.

“I really didn’t touch Roger,” she finally said, meeting Prue’s gaze firmly. When her big sister slowly nodded, a clear signal for her to continue, Phoebe dared to let hope bloom in her chest.

“Do you remember the night before…” She swallowed thickly. “You came into my room and held me while I cried,” she whispered, the memory both comforting and painful all at once.

Prue nodded again, looking as pensive as she’d ever seen her. “You wouldn’t tell me what was wrong,” she said slowly.

Phoebe laughed bitterly at that, squeezing the pillow roughly. “I should have,” she murmured, shaking her head. “Maybe then none of this would have happened.”

“None of what, Phoebe?” Prue asked sharply. “Just tell me your version of what happened.”

Phoebe flinched at her tone and swallowed thickly. “He tried to rape me,” she whispered, the first time she’d framed what had nearly happened to her in those terms. It was frightening really, the way the words made her feel. It was as though she was ripping the band-aid off of a wound that she’d thought had healed but was still festering.

Prue’s eyes widened and she froze, leading Phoebe to continue. “He’d asked me to come over to talk about something to do with the wedding. Then he tried to seduce me, I tried to leave, and he pinned me to the couch,” she swallowed hard, her tears falling as she was transported back to that awful day.

“He touched me but I fought him, I swear I did, Prue,” she said frantically, desperate for her big sister to believe her. “I managed to get away but he caught me alone in the kitchen that day…”

Closing her eyes, Phoebe felt herself begin to tremble. “I couldn’t move when he kissed me and that’s when you walked in. But you have to believe me, Prue, I didn’t want any of it,” she begged.

Prue didn’t say a word and for a split second, Phoebe worried that she would walk away. But then she stepped forward and pulled Phoebe into a fierce hug and she melted into her big sister, sobbing healing tears that she’d held inside until now.

There were no words spoken and Piper found them like that half an hour later, wrapping her arms around both of them.

And in that moment, Phoebe thought that maybe, just maybe, she would be okay again after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here we are! This has been an emotional journey, and one I'm not quite sure is done yet, but Phoebe's part of it is complete. Thank you for coming along on her journey with me and letting me tell a story I thought needed to be told. Please let me know what you thought in the comments and if there's any interest in a possible side-piece or two detailing Prue's journey through these same (but so different) events.


End file.
